Page 87 of Found By You

Maci rolls her eyes. “I birthed her, it should be Mama first. Right, baby girl?” she coos, tickling Olivia and earning a heart-warming giggle from her.

“We’ll see,” I counter, buckling Olivia in her car seat.

“Did you talk to that new subletter for the cabin?” she asks, grabbing Olivia’s diaper bag and favorite blanket. “She texted me a little bit ago and said she’s willing to pay for the whole month of December if she can get in by tomorrow. She sounded kind of…desperate? I mean, she’s willing to pay a whole month for only six days.”

“Is this that Ryan-something you showed the cabin to?”

“Yes, Callie Ryan. She has the service dog.”

“Beau said no pets,” I grunt, lifting Olivia’s car seat as Maci tucks her blanket around her.

“He’s a service dog, honey.” She frowns. “Beau could get sued if we deny her because of the dog. Besides, I met the dog. He’s a giant teddy bear. Olivia was obsessed with him.”

My ears perk up. “Does that mean Olivia can get a puppy?”

Maci narrows her eyes at me. “No.”

I scoff. “You just said, she was obsessed. Why can’t she have a puppy? She loves animals, especially dogs.” Whenever she sees Cassidy’s dog, Frankie, she loses her mind—squealing and giggling.

She’s telling us she wants one, and my little girl gets whatever she wants.

“First off, stop saying it would be her puppy. She can’t even say she wants a puppy,” Maci says, tugging on her coat. “You’re the one who wants a dog.”

“And so does Olivia.” I grin, carrying the car seat to my truck.

“We’ll see,” Maci repeats, mocking my tone from earlier.

I chuckle, strapping Olivia in and helping Maci in the front seat. We’re off to my folks’ place a moment later. “Does she at least have papers saying the dog is a service dog?” I ask. “Do we even know what kind of service dog he is?”

“She has papers. I think she called it a certification or licensing. She forwarded the paperwork with her rental application, but I don’t remember what service he does. He wears this cute little vest and everything, though.”

I nod. “All right, well, Rick moved out already so if she wants to get in there, she can. Ma cleaned out the place last weekend. We’ll swing by on our way home and turn the heat up for her.”

“I’ll let her know now.” Maci grabs her phone. “Have you talked to Beau about signing off on the lease so it can be between him and the renter instead of us?”

“Not yet. No one’s been able to get ahold of him. I think Ma’s hoping she’ll hear from him today, but I doubt it.”

“I can’t believe he hasn’t been home in almost three years. Don’t they get leave or something?”

I turn into my parents’ long drive, mindful of the bumps jostling the car seat in the back. “They do, but he doesn’t use it. He’d rather see his brothers-in-arms get the chance to come home than go himself.” Beau’s always been the loner out of the five Montgomery brothers—something that I hope changes whenever he does decide to return home.

I park next to Butch’s truck, and Maci slides out with the diaper bag in hand. I grab Olivia still in her car seat and the two bags of presents for Gage and Parker. The second we cross the threshold into the house, it’s a commotion to see our girl for her first Christmas Eve.

There are pictures, dinner, pictures, dessert—more pictures.

I finally plop down on the couch beside Maci breastfeeding Olivia and throw my arm around her—living for every moment with my two favorite girls.

Butch walks in with his mini-him perched on his forearm. Gage is six weeks younger than Olivia, and easily twice the size of her. He’s a real bruiser in his own right. It’s no wonder Cassidy needed a C-section just to get the kid out.

“Did you want to feed him, babe?” Cassidy asks him, shaking a bottle with Frankie waddling behind her in his Christmas onesie from last year.

Butch tosses Gage in the air. “Yeah, I’ll feed the little tank.”

I snort. “Little tank is putting it mildly. Seriously, how much does he weigh now?”

“Twenty-two pounds,” Butch announces proudly.

“He’s already wearing twelve-month clothes,” Cass adds. “I can only imagine how big he’s going to get once he starts baby food in a few months. He eats like his damn father.”

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